Being with loved ones is what matters
I’m looking forward to the rally, “Families Belong Together,” today in Lihue.
Words of deep gratitude go out to the organizers who recognize the serious emotional consequences to children ripped from their people. The Trump administration is out of step with American family values. What a travesty.
My representation will focus on local relatives and families whose loved ones are incarcerated in the private prison Eloy, Ariz. We all suffer, too. Presently, there are over a thousand Hawaiian inmates warehoused in Saguaro Correctional Center serving out their sentences. The holding capacity of our state and county facilities is maxed out. So the state of Hawaii contracts inmates out to this private prison and returns them if and when they are paroled. Lifers never return.
The damage to these families and inmates is irreparable. Many of us can never visit except through an occasional Skype linkup.
In 2016 a young inmate from Kauai suffering severe mental issues took his life in Saguaro. Though he was separated from the general population and monitored daily, this tragedy still occurred.
While there are never any assurances of the personal safety of inmates in local facilities, at least the close proximity to their families might provide a safety net not available to those thousands of miles away.
In addition, the financial toll of providing support weighs heavy upon us. Inmates cannot work in private facilities. Throw in phone expenses on top of that and we really struggle.
Please support families and relatives of the most disenfranchised population on Kauai. Bring our loved ones home!
Stocks on Wall Street have soared for the prison industrial complex as tent cities spring up in Texas on military bases. Yes, sadly this includes stocks for the prison warehousing Hawaii’s incarcerated.
Families are forever.
Blu Dux, Kalaheo
Sign-waving rally about justice for all
Regarding the letter, “Rally standing for wrong thing in border battle,” from Arthur Hernandez (June 28, TGI Forum).
This statement is from the Families Belong Together organization: “This Saturday, we are taking to the streets to say that #families belong together — and demanding that we reunite families and end family separation and detention.”
People from all over Central America are coming to the United States to legally seek asylum.
Mr. Hernandez mentions only the Mexicans, “the illegal” Mexicans crossing the border.
Those seeking political asylum are and were following the legal process. It is not illegal to seek asylum. No child should be locked in a cage. Parents should know where their children are. Children need to be reunited with their families.
Taking children away from their parents is cruel. The families need to be treated with humanity and compassion.
As for questioning my agenda. My agenda is seeking justice for all. The same laws that protect Mr. Hernandez’s and my right to free speech are the same laws that protect those entering our country seeking asylum.
Hundreds of organizations that are sponsoring Families Belong Together are very diverse: ACLU, YWCA, Southern Poverty Law Center, labor unions, Sierra Club, Women’s March, Planned Parenthood, to name a few.
This march isn’t about me, it is about justice and the horror we are doing to children and parents who were obeying the law while fleeing for their lives in search of a better opportunity. Which, after all, is what this country is founded on.
Please join us today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a sign-waving rally. We will have voter registration, ACLU representation and speakers. Bring your love, aloha and your sign.
Margie Merryman, Kalaheo
Aloha Kakou,
While the not legal foreigners and their not legal kids and not legal working age kids are being treated and fed and clothed better than our own American children of homeless parents…and no one cares ! ! !
While American parents are being jailed in some states and separated from their kids for crimes like marijuana, while in other states, marijuana is legal or tolerated…who cares about these parent-separated American kids, whose family income drops with one parent in jail…and no one cares ! ! !
And let’s not forget about same issue with parents on legal opioids vs. parents caught up in illegal opioids…almost all of which are now doctor, hospital, pharmacist, and pharmaceutical industry induced (iatrogenic); the one jailed and separated from their American kids, the other separated and “stoned” right in front of their American kids…and no one cares ! ! !
Parents self separating, or legal divorces (fueled by honorable Courts and lawyers) of marriages allowing one parent the right to move too far away for visitation by the remaining parent (and that remaining parent still must ludicrously pay support and alimony) separates American children from the love, nurturing, bonding, and necessary interaction for deserved normal growth of both boys and girls from both the male and female parent…and no one cares…! ! !
But allow into our country an un-legal foreigner and bathe their un-American kids in semi-luxury, while our own American kids suffer at the hands of ruthless inconsiderate authorities, unfortunate circumstances, “goody-2-shoe” Do-Gooders, Courts with no humane concern for unfortunate American children…and no one cares…
And the ones showing any (misdirected) care at all, are allowing our own American kids to be “thrown under the (school) bus” while foreigners seeking asylum from the grief and terror in their foreign cities (and will face the same grief and terror in American cities) repeating the same insanity ad nauseum in our country as they lived with in their former country.
American toxic immigration breeding new gang members, new criminals, new drug dealers, new pimps, new murderers, new welfare recipients, new non-payers of out government taxes. OPEN BORDERS, and idea whose time came and went in idealistic bankruptcy.
Oh yeah let them in, be sure to shoot yourself in the other foot.
Mahalo
Charles
Gee Charlie, perhaps vegans have trouble with multitasking; but, most of the rest of us can care about more than one thing AT THE SAME TIME.
One of my uncles told me once that you can’t have an open bar party without someone watching the door. People suggesting we have open borders are not considering the ultimate effect on all of us.
Here is an interesting comment from Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce in the Bush administration.
“Immigration is an economic strategy. It’s an economic policy, and that’s what, I am so shocked that it’s Republicans who don’t understand that. We are supposed to be the party of prosperity, and you cannot have prosperity without immigration.”
This might be a part of that ultimate effect.
“The damage to these families and inmates is irreparable.”
So in BJ’s mind the criminal seems to have no part in the game. What about the damage they caused to their victims?
Of course, rational people,(BJ excluded), understand that committing crimes is a voluntary choice. Criminals have no regard for laws, other people or their families…at least until they are thrown in the slammer.
RG DeSoto
I say tough…live a virtuous life and you won’t end up separated from your family.
RG DeSoto
Blu Dux, “When did you get so religious?” When one is jailed they suffer consequences. They lose their freedom to be with family, where to live. Sadly, moving them off island to another island or state away from their family is one of the biggest consequence.
Here in Hawaii no-one want to have a Correctional Facility in their neighborhood. Even those who have inmate relatives in jail oppose building a Correctional Facility in the neighborhood.
Bettejo Dux and Blu Dux are related but two separate people. Try to keep up!
Amen RG Desoto Amen
Oh yeah, RG and Steve say “Tough!” That’s because they’re really tough old guys, like the really tough orange, flabby blob in the WH!
F.O.A.D.P.A.
OMG S.M., that was soooooo tough!